Whisky spirit alive and well in Fife

Plans to create a distillery and visitor centre at the ‘spiritual home of Scotch whisky’ in Newburgh are moving on apace with help from Business Gateway Fife.

The first record of whisky distillation in Scotland was at Lindores Abbey in 1494 and now estate owner, Drew McKenzie Smith, is looking to bring the spirit back to life as part of an ambitious transformation of the abbey.

“It is still early days but all our meetings have been very productive and we are seeing interest in our proposals from potential investors across the globe,” said Drew.

“Business Gateway Fife and Fife Council have been an important part of the team for the past 18 months and they were instrumental in helping us source funding for the initial feasibility study. Without that support the project would never have got off the ground.

“They also used their extensive network of contacts to open doors with a variety of other specialist organisations who can help us develop the project. ”

As part of the briefing process, Fife Council Depute Leader Lesley Laird, spokesperson for Business and Planning, recently visited Lindores Abbey to find out more about the proposals.

Lindores Abbey has a fascinating 800 year history – including visits by William Wallace and a number of monarchs – that will be important as the team looks to secure investment for the project.

“To support our marketing Business Gateway Fife is also helping us to develop our website and a potential video diary of the project,” continued Drew.